Joseph berge



J. BERGE.

FLEXIBLE SHAFTING.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I4. I9I9.

`1,324,787'. Patented 1250.164919.

.F525 Z0 25 22 15301732 N .6 I@ 2e j 22 I5 24 H 1 2G14 2s IIIIII&\EIIIQI INVENTOR.

TTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEroE.

JOSEPH BERGE, 0F FIINT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 CHAMPION IGNITION COMPANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN, A. CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN FLEXIBLE SHAFTING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec. 16, 1919.

Application led April 14, 1919. Serial No. 289,826.

To all 'whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOSEPH BERGE, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Flint, Genesee county., State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flexible Shafting, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flexible shafting designed for use in connection with speedometers, odometers, and similar instruments used with vehicles to indicate the speed at which they aremoving, the distance traveled, or to give other indications concernin the manner in which the vehicle is operating.

vThe object of luy-'invention is to provide -improved flexible shafting for the purpose above referred to; to which end my invention consists in certain new and useful improvements in and relating to the means whereby the ends of the flexible shafting are secured tothe instrument to be -driven and to the driving mechanism whereby the same is operated, as well also as in other features' of construction -and operation relating gen-l erally to various structural features of the shafting, all as will hereinafter and at length more fully appear.

My invention is illustrated in its preferred form in the drawing accompanying and forming a part of this specification; although it will be appreciated that the same may be embodied Ain various other.

specific forms, and that my invention includes all such variations and modifications of the particular form thereof herein illustrated as come within the scope ofthe con- .cluding claims wherein the particular features in which the invention consists are pointed out. Referring to the-drawing: h Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation showing my improved iexible' shafting v Fig. 2 is a'view showing'one end of the Y shafting as connected with aninstrument to be operated thereby;

Fig. 3 is a view showing the shafting as seen rom a position to the eft of Fi 1;

Fig. 4 is a view showing the rig t-hand end of the shafting shown in Fig. 1 1n elevation;

Fig. 5is a view showing the driving con-- nection between an `element of a vehicle and the left-hand end of the shafting shown in Fig. 1; and v Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which the right-hand end of the shaftingO vthe flexible protecting casing, nor with the distinguishing feature of the driving shaft I located within same. l The ends of the lprotecting casing 7 extend 'into tubular ferrules or sleeves 9 10,

these members being of rigid or non-flexible construction, in order to provide for the connection of the two ends of the protecting casing with the driving Vmechanism from which the shaft 8 is driven and with the instrument operated by the said shaft; which instrument is indicated by the reference numeral 11 inFig. 2, and may as stated be a speedometer, odometer or other instrument. i

The ends of the casing 7 may be secured in place within the sleeves 9, 10 in any suitable way, and the outer portions or ends of the sleevesare conical in form as shown at 12, 13. The extremities of the sleeves 9, 10 are provided with flanges 14, 15 which extend substantially at right angles. to the sleeves, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the draw-A Located within the sleeves 9, 10 are bearings 16,17 within which coupling Vmembers 18, 19 are rotatably supported. `These coupliing members are provided with recesses in their inner ends into which the ends of the flexible driving shaft 8 extend', as shown in Fig.' 1, and within which recess said ends 4'are secured, wherebymotion will be transmitted from the driving coupling member 19 through the shaft 8 to the driven coupling member 1,8, as will be understood.

The left-hand driving member 19 extends into a recess' provided m a rotating member or shaft 20 which is driven from a moving part of the vehicle, a driving connection between the member 2O and the said driving member 19 being maintained through a key 21 fitting into a key-way in the driving member, see Fig. 5. The left-hand end of the shafting, regarded in its entirety, is secured in place and to the driving mechanism by means of a nut 22 in threaded engagement with a bearing 23, whereby the rotating driving member 20 is supported, said nut having an inwardly extending ledge 24 which overlies the ange 15 of the tubular sleeve 10, as clearly shown in said figure.

The right-hand end -of the shafting is connected with the instrument 11 to be driven through a similar nut 25, having an inwardly extending iiange 26 which overlies the flange 14 of the sleeve 9, see Figs. 2 and 6, and the free end of the driven coupling member 18 is provided with an angular driving socket 27 which receives a similarly shaped end of the shaft 28 of the instrument driven by the iexible shaft 8, the nut 25 being in threaded engagement with a threaded boss 29 with which the instrument in question is provided.

The 'driving coupling member 19 is provided with a resilientA split retaining ring .x30 lying within a circumferentially extending groove provided in the said member, as best shown in Fig. 1, the purpose of this ring being to prevent the shaft 8 from moving longitudinally and leaving the bearings,

16, 17 whereby the coupling members at its end are supported and within which they rotate; the shaft being restrained from longitudinal movement in one direction by a shoulder 31 upon the driven coupling 18 and in the other by the resilient split ring 30 which is sprung into place after the shaft with its coupling members has been assembled with the protecting casing 7, as will be appreciated.

It will be observed that the recess in the driving member 2O into' which the left-hand end of the coupling member 19 extends is of considerable depth, so that the free end of the said member may move longitudinally therein to' a considerable extent before the ring 30 engages with the bearing 17 and without interfering withpthe driving Iconnection provided by the key 21; the ring in question being `for the purpose of preventing the shaft as a whole, together with its couplings, from leaving the protecting casing 7, rather than to provide means for limiting movement of the shaft in the direction of its axis or a device wherein that end is accomplished.

The purpose of the conical portions 12, 13 of the sleeves 9, 10 is to center the said sleeves properly as the nuts 22, 25 are screwed in place,- the operation of screwing the nuts into their final position acting to the bearing 23 which supports the driving member or shaft 2O and the boss 29 upon the instrument to be operated are provided with conical projections 32, 33 which enter the interiors of the conical portions 12, 13 to further insure a proper centering and alinement of the parts as the nuts 22, 25 are screwed into their final positions, as will be understood.

As above stated the inwardly extending ledges 24, 26 overlie the outwardly extending flanges 15 and 14, and the said flanges lie in recesses provided in the interior of the nuts 22vand 25 when the arts are assembled, such recesses being indicated by the reference numerals 34, 35 in Fig. 1. These internal recesses are greater in diameter than the flanges which lie in them, the purpose of this feature being to avoid binding action between the peripheries of the ianges andthe nuts as the nuts are screwed into their inal position; the peripheries of the flanges being thus spaced apart somewhat from the adjacent side walls of the recesses so that they are free to move laterally or ioat up to the instant that the inner surface of the ledges engage the flanges and clamp them to the conical ends of the bearing 23 and boss 29, thus more certainly insuring the connection of the shafting with the driving means and with the instrument to be driven without binding4 action.

Having thus described and explained my invention, l claim and desire. to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In flexible shafting of the class described, a non-rotatable iexible tubular protectingl casing; a rigid tubular sleeve into which the end of said casing extends and the outer end of which sleeve is conical in form; a bearing secured in place within said sleeve; a coupling member rotatable in said bearing; and a iiexible driving shaft located lwithin said casing and the end of vwhich shaft is connected with said coupling member to drive the same.

2. In flexible shafting of the class described; a non-rotatable flexible tubular rotecting casing; a rigid tubular sleeve into which the end of said casing extends and the outer end of which sleeve is conical in form and is provided with a flange or shoulder at its extremity; a bearing secured in place within said sleeve; a coupling member rotatable in said bearing and having an angular driving socket in its outer or free end; and a flexible driving shaft located within said casing and the end of which shaft is connected with said coupling member -to drive the same.

3. In flexible shafting of the class de-v scribed, a non-rotatable flexible tubular protecting casing; two rigid tubular sleeves se from leaving said bearings.

4. In fiexible shafting of the class described, a non-rotatable fiexible tubular protecting casing; two rigid tubular sleeves secured one to each end of said casing; two bearings secured in place one within each of said sleeves; two coupling members rotatable one in each of said bearings, and one of which ymembers is provided with a shoulder in engagement with one of said bearings; a flexible shaft extending between and the' ends of which are connected with said coupling members; a circumferentially extending groove provided in the other of said coupling members; and afresilient ring located within said groove and adapted to prelar protecting casing; a rigid tubular sleeve into which the end of said casing'extends and the extremity of which sleeve is conical and of such size as to ftover the conical end of the boss aforesaid, and is provided with a flange extending substantially at 'right angles to the axis thereof; anut in threaded engagement with said boss and which nut is provided with an inwardly extending ledge adapted to overlie said flange, and with an internal recess of greater diameter than and within which said flange lies; a bearing secu ed in place within said sleeve; a coupling member rotatable in said bearing and which member is operatively connected with the shaft aforesaid of the instrument to be driven and a flexible driving shaft located within said casing and the end of which shaft is connected with said coupling member to drive the same.

6. In combination with an instrument to be driven having a shaft, and a threaded boss surrounding said shaft vand havin a conical end; of a non-rotatable 'flexible tu ular protecting casing; a rigid tubular sleeve,

into which the end of lsaid casing extends and the extremity of which sleeve is conical and of such size as to fit over the conical end of the boss aforesaid; a nut in threaded engagement with said boss and in engagement also with said sleeve to thereby clamp said sleeve and the end of said shaft to the instrument to be driven; a bearing secured in placewithin said sleeve; a coupling member rotatable in said bearing and which member is operatively connected withl the shaft of the instrument to be driven; and a flexible driving shaft located within said casing and the end of which shaft is connected with said coupling member to drive the same.y q

In testimony whereof I afxA my signature.

A JOSEPH BERGE. 

